Brazil’s civil aviation regulator ANAC has approved new rules that require airlines to notify passengers through digital channels as soon as they learn of a delay, cancellation or interruption, while preserving basic assistance duties for disrupted journeys. The revised framework also requires carriers to tell travellers, at the time of purchase, that schedules can change because of weather, safety requirements or other operational factors.
The update is due to take effect 30 days after publication in the federal gazette. It forms part of a broader revision of Brazil’s passenger-assistance and airline-liability rules for irregular operations, including disruption caused by force majeure.
Under the new regime, airlines must provide the expected new departure time, available rebooking options and details on how to obtain material assistance. The assistance timetable remains in place, with food support after two hours and hotel and transport after four hours when an overnight stay is required.
In exceptional cases, carriers may reimburse reasonable passenger expenses within seven days if infrastructure limits or other unforeseen circumstances prevent immediate assistance. The changes clarify that disruption outside an airline’s control does not automatically amount to a service failure, but the duty to inform and assist passengers remains.